Andrea, Swampert, and a Whole Lotta Trust
by xxAnderxx
Summary: Andrea is a young teenage girl on her first pokemon journey. Hoping to follow in her brother's footsteps, she wants to be a strong trainer and make her family proud. At first glance, she seems like a strong girl accentuated by her team and her closest companion, Swampert. However, she wasn't always like that. (Photo and characters were inspired by my brother All0412 on DeviantArt)
1. Chapter 1

**Andrea, Swampert, and a Whole Lotta Trust**

Part 1

It's been said that a bond of friendship can be so strong that it becomes family. In Andrea's case that couldn't be more accurate. Andrea is a young teenage girl on her first pokemon journey. Hoping to follow in her brother's footsteps, she wants to be a strong trainer and make her family proud. She has four badges proudly under her belt and is on her way to get her four remaining ones. At first glance, she seems like a strong girl accentuated by her team and her closest companion, Swampert. However, she wasn't always like that.

Four months prior, Andrea was preparing to set out on her adventure. She packed her bag, wished her parents goodbye, hopped on her bike, and rushed to the Pokemon Main Lab to meet up with her brother and ultimately pick her starter. From her home in Rustboro City, it would be quite a ride to the lab in Littleroot Town. Along the way she couldn't help but take in the lush woods and greenery, the tiny Pokemon she rode past, the shimmering sea, and the warm welcoming beaches. Every sight she saw only made her more filled with anticipation to explore those lands and feel what it will be like to see the rest of the Hoenn region outside of her concrete jungle home.

"Ah you took your time," her brother said jokingly as Andrea pulled into the lot of the lab.

"Sorry All, I guess I slept in longer than I thought," Andrea said with a nervous laugh.

"So you excited? This is it sis. You're finally going to be a real trainer. Trust me you'll love it!" All said with enthusiasm.

"Yeah I can't wait!" Andrea replied.

The two siblings walked to the door and entered the cool air-conditioned building. The atmosphere in the lab was absolutely static. There were researchers up and down the place carrying documents using terms and analogies far too wordy for either All or Andrea to bother understanding. They saw a couple budding trainers eagerly waiting to schedule their appointments to get their Pokedexes and first Pokemon.

From out of the main hallway, a worker dressed in her full coat came out and began to annunciate, "Andrea? Is there an Andrea here?"

"Present!" Andrea said raising her hand as if she were in trainer school all over again. All chuckled at her naivety.

"Ah welcome to our facility! I trust the ride must have been enjoyable?" the assistant said with a welcoming smile.

"Yeah, it was so nice to see some of the landscape," Andrea replied.

The assistant guided the two trainers in to the main laboratory. She directed them to their seats and instructed them to wait for a few minutes while she went off to find Professor Birch who was the leading researcher and head of the facility.

All sat down and took a glance at his sister and seemed a bit puzzled. She was shaking and sighing.

"Um Andrea; you alright?" he asked with concern.

"Yeah yeah sorry, I'm just a little nervous," she said with an unsure smile.

"Ha don't worry sis; I'm telling you once you get your companion it'll all be worth it."

"All, what's it like? Meeting the Pokemon for the first time? How will I know which one to pick?"

"Well," All said as he raised his head and glanced at the roof, "think of it like this. It's like meeting a sibling you never knew you had. It starts off a little awkward at first with the two of you adjusting to being out of your birthplaces with a young mindset trying to figure out what this world will be like. Sometimes you both might feel a bit unsure of yourselves other times you will press on with unyielding confidence but at the end of the day, no matter what happens, you'll end up with this feeling in your heart that somehow you two were just meant to meet."

After hearing her brother's words, Andrea calmed down and thanked him while he responded with a cheery smile. As the two were busy having their moment, out of nowhere comes a man of relatively husky stature running past them at blazing speed and falling flat on his face.

"Ouch! Well that's definitely going to hurt in the morning," the man said as he started picking himself up off the ground.

"Um are you okay?" Andrea said looking at the man as if he wasn't quite all there.

"Yeah yeah sorry; didn't mean to startle you guys," the man said with a laugh.

Shortly afterwards, three little Pokemon hopped on him and started to tug on his coat, climb on his back, and play around.

"Come on you guys! We rehearsed this! We're supposed to look at least semi-presentable in front of the new trainers!" the man said struggling to break free from the little creatures' playful actions.

All and Andrea laughed watching the young Pokemon amuse themselves with the researcher.

The assistant that tended to the siblings earlier came back out again and said, "Ah I see you've met the professor."

"What? This is Professor Birch?" Andrea exclaimed.

"Present!" Professor Birch replied as he pried the little Treecko off of his face.

Andrea and All helped the battered professor off the ground and away from the childish clutches of the young creatures.

"Thank you. Now which one of you is the trainer?" Birch asked.

"I am, sir," Andrea replied with her hand up.

"Ah! Fantastic and I assume you brought your brother with you for moral support?"

"Ha! Yeah," Andrea replied with a chuckle.

"Perfect! Well as you might remember from trainer school, in every region there are three Pokemon specifically chosen to be "starter Pokemon" for new trainers. These "starter Pokemon" aren't exactly the ultimate Pokemon and they don't have to be a mandatory part of your team but their all around coverage and easy going natures tend to make them easier to grow with. Now for which three Pokemon you will be choosing from. There's Treecko, the agile little lizard Pokemon. He's a swift one and is great for traversing forests and greenery especially with his keen vision and reflexes he would be a great pick for a trainer who would need some adjusting to the environment. Torchic, the blazing bird Pokemon is another great choice. His peck is only matched by his pride. This little bird is perfect for the trainer who is passionate about being the absolute best. Always remember tiny but mighty! Last but simply not least, there is Mudkip, the little amphibious quadruped. Mudkip is a good swimmer and has a natural affinity with swamps or marshes. With his more relaxed nature, this little Pokemon is the safest pick due to his dexterity and unyielding endurance."

"Wow! They all sound so neat," Andrea said as she glanced at all the young Pokemon.

"Now for the moment of truth," Professor Birch paused, "pick one!"

Andrea's face went pale white. The three Pokemon looked up at her puzzled.

"Um can I maybe have a moment?" Andrea asked timidly.

"Of course!" replied the Professor.

Andrea rushed into the hall then dragged All with her.

"Ha! Andrea what's wrong," All said jokingly.

"All, I don't know which one to pick," Andrea said in a sorrowful tone.

"Aw you're just a little shy that's all. Don't worry about it."

"It's not that. The Treecko is nice and all but I want to take a different route from you so that leaves the other two but what if I make the wrong choice or the Pokemon doesn't like me or if I can't put a good team together and end up losing a lot," Andrea went on and on.

All reached out to his sister and hugged her then began to speak, "You worry way too much Anne. You'll be fine. Trust me. Go out there with a calm mindset and the choice will come to you. If you don't want the Treecko don't focus on him and look at the other two. Everything will be fine; you'll see."

Andrea breathed a sigh of relief, steeled her nerves and went back out to make her choice.

"Alright let's see let's see," Andrea said as she glanced at the three young Pokemon.

She bent over and looked at the Treecko, "I'm sorry but it's not you. I'm sure you're a good Pokemon but I want to make my own path from my brother. You're not hurt are you?"

The little Pokemon shook his head from side to side and cried out in a happy tone as if in complete understanding of her reasoning. He took a step back and let her choose between the final two. Andrea looked carefully at the two remaining choices and felt a little voice inside her start to speak. She turned her head and began to watch the Mudkip. She didn't say a word but everyone in the room could tell this would be the one. The Mudkip looked back at her almost as if even he could feel it as well. He walked up to her and sat in front of her feet, looking up at her with a joyous smile. She hadn't said a word but the little Pokemon knew and reciprocated her feelings. She was stunned. Her brother was right all along.

Andrea, almost speechless, opened her mouth and said, "I choose you, Mudkip."

Just then, her brother came behind her and gave her a pat on the back with a nod. After everything was settled, and Andrea was given her equipment to begin her journey, she thanked the professor and his assistant and left the facility with her brother.

"Professor, she's the first one to ever say out loud that she didn't want one of the Pokemon. Do you think she'll be okay?" the assistant asked.

Professor Birch took in a breath and spoke, "Did you feel that in the air when she looked at the Mudkip? You'd be lying if you said you didn't."

"I did but I'm not sure if that will result in," the assistant said before she was cut off.

"That girl has something special. She doesn't realize it yet but the Mudkip did. Once she can overcome that little block of hers, she will be amazing. Those two will be stronger than even I can imagine. Her own brother might be unable to stop her. She just has to believe in herself."

With that, the professor looked at Andrea and All as they walked off into the distance with the little Mudkip following closely behind his new master.

"Hey All, we're not going to walk ALL the way back home are we?" Andrea asked.

"Ha! Of course not! We'll stop for some lunch in Petalburg first. You might want to put your Mudkip back in his Pokeball for the journey."

"Oh right," Andrea replied as she took the ball out of her pocket, expanded it and withdrew her new starter.

The two got on their bikes and started the half hour ride to Petalburg City. When they finally arrived, they stopped at a local café for a meal.

"So Anne you're finally a trainer! How do you feel?" All said with excitement.

"Honestly, I'm not too sure," Andrea said jokingly, "I feel excited and nervous at the same time. Did it feel like this for you and Treecko when you started?"

"Ha! He and I had a very different start. Treecko and I didn't exactly see eye to eye at first glance and he was a little surprised that I picked him. I guess it's because of that reason that it only made me want him more," All replied.

"What? But if a Pokemon rubbed you the wrong way at first glance, then why did you pick him?" Andrea asked with a puzzled expression.

"It seems somewhat dumb doesn't it?" All said with a laugh, "But you see, I knew that Treecko wanted me to show him what I was capable of. He wanted me to show him that I wasn't all talk with no walk. His doubt pushed me to further myself and grow as a person. When he saw that I wasn't backing down from his challenge, he opened up to me and the rest of the journey was smooth sailing. Pokemon might seem like just animalistic creatures but they're smarter than we give them credit for. They know more about you sometimes than you even know about yourself. I think that's what Mudkip is trying to tell you."

"Wait, Mudkip is trying to tell me something? How do you know?" Andrea asked.

All paused and there was a brief period of silence. The atmosphere began to shift and he began to speak, "What? You thought him walking up to you was just because he wanted some shade? He's practically shouting in your ear. You just need to take off your ear muffs and listen."

Andrea was speechless. She had no idea how to reply to what she was being told and she wasn't expecting the sudden seriousness from her brother's usually casual demeanor. She knew he was strong and that his kindness doesn't affect his seriousness in battle but she never experienced it full hand.

"Well I'll be on my way. I got to get started on my badge run again," All said as he left the money on the table to pay for their meal and headed for the door.

"All wait," Andrea got up and went to stop him, "thanks for your help at the lab. I don't think I would have been able to make that choice without you."

"I appreciate your kindness Anne but don't thank me yet," All said as he shut the door.

Andrea was puzzled, "What do you mean?"

He elaborated, "You do realize Swampert has a horrible matchup against Sceptile right? You must have known Mudkip will inevitably become a ground type as well and his one weakness will be grass."

"Why are you telling me this?" Andrea asked almost afraid of her own brother.

"One day, you're going to reach a point where you will be extremely strong. You will begin to breeze through every challenge with ease and you'll feel on top of the world, but remember you are not the only one that wants to be at the top. We'll meet again sis but it won't be as loving as today. Your being a trainer makes us rivals and when we battle, I won't hold back on you because you're my sister. If you don't bring your absolute best and unlock that strength of yours, you will never beat me. Don't get me wrong I love you very much but somebody has to push you to come out of that shell you have that blocks you from moving on and if nobody else not even your Mudkip can do it, I will," All said as he opened the door and left without another word.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

Andrea was left completely baffled by the words her brother left her with. She went and sat back in the booth where they were eating and rested on the table. She reached into her pocket and took out Mudkip's Pokeball.

"You see something in me, but what is it?" she thought to herself.

She got up, paid for the meal, and went to her bike to begin the ride back to Rustboro City. When she arrived back at home, it turned out All had already been there and he left a note with their mother to give to Andrea. Andrea opened the note and read it. It said to train and challenge Roxanne when she was ready. That night, Andrea sat in her room staring once again at the Pokeball. She clicked the button to expand it and sent out her Pokemon.

"My brother said you see something that I can't. Is it true?" she asked the little Mudkip.

He nodded in reply, sat in front of her, and kept on watching her.

"Well I hope you're right little guy," Andrea said as she relaxed, pulled the sheets over herself, and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Andrea woke up and looked around her room but her Mudkip was nowhere to be found. She panicked and began searching every nook and cranny where he could possibly be hiding. She ran downstairs and frantically looked around. Just then she spotted him in the kitchen with her mom.

"He's an active little fellah. He woke up an hour before you and ran downstairs," Andrea's mom said while entertaining the little Pokemon.

Andrea ate her breakfast, made sure Mudkip was nice and fed, then the two headed off together to begin training in the woodlands around Petalburg City. They started small battling and catching normal wild Pokemon, gathering information for the Pokedex, and collecting what berries or items they could find in the surrounding greenery. After hours of exercising on various different wild Pokemon they encountered and catching several others, Andrea and Mudkip decided it would be best to take a break. Andrea took out some of the sandwiches she had packed up and started to eat. She noticed Mudkip was looking at her and figured he was hungry and wanted a bite.

"Here you want one?" she said as she held the sandwich in front of the little amphibious creature.

He nudged it away with his snout and motioned to her basically saying he thought she needed it more than he did.

"Well okay then. You want anything to eat? I got some berries you want some of those instead?" Andrea asked.

Mudkip shook his head. He appeared to not be hungry.

"Hey! That Mudkip belongs to you?" asked a boy as he approached Andrea.

"Yeah he's mine, why?" she replied with food still in her mouth.

"I want to see what he can do. You want to have a battle?" he asked with enthusiasm.

Andrea almost choked while swallowing, "A battle already? Um I guess."

Mudkip got excited and he couldn't wait to begin despite Andrea being somewhat hesitant.

"Alright how many Pokemon you got?" he asked.

"I got about five by now," she replied.

"Whoa! You've been busy," he said with a laugh then continued, "alright well since I only have two, let's make it even. Use your Mudkip and any other Pokemon of your choice. Seem fair?"

"Sure," she replied.

"Perfect! Now let's get this started," he took out a Pokeball threw it out and continued, "Let's go, Aron!"

Andrea began to think to herself, "Mudkip is a water type but he doesn't know any water moves yet. If he did, this Aron would be much easier to deal with. Shroomish should help."

Andrea took out her Pokeball and sent out Shroomish.

"Ah a grass type, if Aron was pure rock this would much worse for me. Let's see how it'll play out," the trainer said with enthusiasm. "Aron use Tackle!"

The little steel Pokemon rushed forward and slammed the Shroomish head on. The small grass pokemon reeled but was still standing firm.

"Shroomish is slower," Andrea thought to herself for a moment then acted, "Shroomish, use Stun Spore!"

Shroomish swayed back and forth before releasing the glimmering powder that crippled the Aron making him much slower.

"Perfect! Now I have the advantage! Alright Shroomish use Mega Drain and get back some of that health," Andrea commanded.

Shroomish channeled and drained Aron's energy restoring his own. Aron tried to act but couldn't move his body.

"We got him now Shroomish, use Mega Drain again!" Andrea shouted with excitement.

"Well I must say you put me in quite the tough situation," the boy said. "However, you failed to account for something. Your Shroomish took a pretty solid amount of damage from Tackle alone so let's see if he can withstand this next attack. Aron use Metal Claw!"

"Oh no, Shroomish watch out!" Andrea shouted as the steel Pokemon raked the Shroomish.

Shroomish writhed but was able to withstand the blow.

"Shroomish now use Mega Drain and finish the Aron off," Andrea shouted.

Shroomish sucked up the last of Aron's strength and the iron Pokemon collapsed.

"Nice job Shroomish!" Andrea said with excitement.

"Well done! Using Stun Spore to tip the speed scale in your favor was clever, but we'll see if Shroomish's base speed will be enough against my next Pokemon, go Geodude!" "Geodude use Rock Tomb!"

"What?" Andrea shouted in complete shock.

Geodude materialized a cluster of stones and buried the Shroomish alive in them. When the rocks shattered, the Shroomish was down.

"No, I needed Shroomish. What can I do now?" Andrea said as she got discouraged by knowing the inevitable outcome. Mudkip can't beat a Geodude with only normal moves and she knew it.

Mudkip got excited and prepared to take his stance when Andrea called out, "Mudkip no, don't do it."

He turned back at her in utter shock. Mudkip began crying out eager to test himself against the strong opponent but Andrea remained stoic.

"Mudkip don't battle that Geodude. I'm sorry you can't win against him," she said disheartened.

Mudkip hung his head and turned back to her side.

"I'm sorry but I'm forfeiting. There's nothing I can do against that Geodude," Andrea said to her opponent.

"What, you're really going to give up? Come on at least call out a move. I won't use Rock Tomb if anything," the trainer said trying to coax her back into it.

"I'm really sorry but there's nothing I can do. If you want I'll pay you for your victory," Andrea said.

"Man that's a shame. I really wanted to test my abilities against a hard opponent. A water type would have been perfect and your Mudkip really looks strong but oh well I suppose. Keep your money; it's alright. Sorry for bothering you into battling me," the boy said as he withdrew his Pokemon and walked away.

Andrea sat down and hung her head. Mudkip walked up to her and nudged her leg trying to get her attention. She turned to look at him and noticed he had a stern look on his face.

"What do you want me to do? I can't just send you out there to lose. You don't know any water moves yet. The Geodude would have won that matchup for sure," Andrea said trying to reason with her Pokemon.

Mudkip turned his head and looked away from her.

"I'm sorry. I just need to work harder and get you stronger. This was my fault," Andrea said trying to comfort him.

Mudkip turned around and sat down staring at the ground. Andrea reached out to pet him but he pulled away from her.

"Come on Mudkip, let's go home," Andrea said as she packed up her things and headed back to Rustboro.

Mudkip followed closely behind her still hanging his head. They walked for ten minutes without saying anything to each other. Andrea would occasionally glance at her Pokemon trying to understand what bothered him so much. When she got home, she greeted her mother and sat down to have dinner. Mudkip ran upstairs to the room.

"Did something happen, Anne? You seem a little upset," Andrea's mother asked with concern.

"No I'm fine mom; I just lost a battle," Andrea replied.

"Oh don't worry it's just one battle. You can't win them all you know. Besides you're just starting you'll get better as you go on," her mother replied trying to cheer her up.

"I know. That's not the problem. The thing is, Mudkip's mad at me," Andrea said.

"Why? Did you two fight?" her mother asked.

"No I didn't let him battle the trainer I was up against. He didn't have any water move so the Geodude would have beaten him easily," Andrea responded.

"Anne! Why did you do that? You didn't even let him at least make a move?" her mother replied in a stern voice.

"It didn't make sense. He would lose," Andrea responded in a somewhat angry tone.

"He would have lost but at least he would have learned from it and so would you. You didn't even give him a chance," she continued.

"What's the point? He wouldn't have won," Andrea said.

"That doesn't matter Andrea. Let him try. The little guy was obviously eager to give an effort. Don't tell him he shouldn't battle. Even if he would lose he wanted to work as hard as he could and you took that away from him. That hurts a lot more you know," Andrea's mom explained.

"How would it hurt more? I don't get it," Andrea seemed puzzled.

"You know what you tell him when you say don't battle because you will lose? Whether it's true or not do you know what you instill in his mind when you say that? It says you don't believe in him," she clarified.

"I didn't even know. You really think that's true?" Andrea asked in a regretful tone.

"Look at him. Really look at him. Do you think he's mad or hurt?" she asked. "If I were you I would go up there and talk to him," Andrea's mom advised.

"Okay, I will," Andrea said as she got up from the table and went up the steps.

Andrea went up to her room and saw Mudkip sitting on her bed. She walked up and sat next to him.

"Hey, you okay?" she probed.

He turned to her and she could see the poor little thing was full of sorrow.

"I'm sorry Mudkip. I didn't know how much that battle meant to you. I just didn't want to see you lose. It was my fault. I should have put in more work. I should have let you learn how to use your abilities first before accepting his challenge. I can't believe I let myself make such a stupid mistake," Andrea said sounding more and more frustrated. "I agreed to the battle because I wanted to look tough but in my head I knew I wasn't fully prepared for it. All always used to tell me not to make rash decisions and to know for sure what it is I want and to stop being so indecisive. I jumped headfirst into this whole trainer thing and never once thought about what it's like to have a Pokemon, the fact that they have their own personalities as well, or any of that stuff. I thought that maybe if I studied extra hard, got really good grades, and worked with All that I could be like him but no matter what I did he did it better. Earlier he told me that if it came to it and we ever battled, it would be extra hard for me because his Pokemon can easily beat you at your strongest and I know that even if I got a type to give me an advantage he would have some way to stop it and then I'd have to think and plan out an entire team to," she got cut off by Mudkip.

He barked out at her and gave her a stern look. She tried to speak again but again he cut her off and gave her the same look. He walked into her lap and nudged her with his snout before looking at her in the eye. He repeated the action three times before she started to understand.

"I get it. I wasn't afraid of you losing. I was afraid of myself losing. I don't know what to do after All said that he would beat me, even if I got strong," she asked her Pokemon.

Mudkip jumped off the bed and used Tackle on her nightstand that had a picture of her and her brother. He clutched the picture in his mouth and tore it in half.

"Mudkip what are you doing?" Andrea shouted.

He climbed back up on the bed with the two halves in his mouth and laid them out for her to see. He tapped on her half with his foot then pointed at her with his snout.

"Yes it's me. What about it?" Andrea asked trying to figure out the meaning of his strange action.

He walked over to All's half and tapped on it with his foot then looked at her and shook his head from side to side. He walked back over to her picture tapped it and nodded, then walked back to All's , tapped it and shook his head. Andrea finally realized what he was saying and raised her hand to cover her face. Mudkip kicked off All's half of the photo and brought Andrea's half to her. She raised her head and saw him put the picture down in front of her, sit behind it, and smile. Once again he tapped it and pointed at her.

"I get it. I get it Mudkip. That's me. All is not me, but how do I be good if I'm not like him?" Andrea asked choking back tears.

Mudkip walked back into her lap and once again nudged her with his snout.

"Inside me, what does that mean?" Andrea asked.

Mudkip nodded and smiled.

"It's inside me. I just have to find it by being me and not being All. That's what you're saying right?" she asked.

Mudkip looked at her and nodded with a big smile.

"Okay but how? How do I find it?" Andrea asked wanting eagerly to know.

Mudkip walked off the bed, grabbed Andrea's Pokeballs containing himself and Shroomish, jumped back on the bed, set them in front of her, and tapped each one. Afterwards he sat down, looked at her and smiled.

"Of course, you guys will help me?" Andrea tried to understand.

Mudkip nodded and smiled.

She picked him up, hugged him, and said, "Thank you so much Mudkip. I understand."

Mudkip cried out and nuzzled her lovingly. She set him back down and patted his head tenderly.

"You really are a clever little Pokemon aren't you?" Andrea joked.

Mudkip cried out and smiled as if to say "yes".

"Alright Mudkip tomorrow we're going to train hard. I'll try my best and no matter what I won't ever pull you out of a battle like that again. You just put your faith in me alright?" Andrea asked as she extended her hand out as a means of making an agreement.

Mudkip put his little foot in her hand and the two shook solidifying the deal.

Andrea rested that night with Mudkip comfortably nestled at her side. She petted him while he slept and felt reassured that with him keeping her on the right path, she could learn to walk it herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

That morning when Andrea and Mudkip woke up, a newfound flame was kindled within them. After eating breakfast and getting dressed, Andrea planned out a regimen for the two of them so that they could be in top shape for the gym challenge. She researched everything she could on Roxanne and what her team and strategies might be like and prepared to focus most of her efforts towards strengthening Mudkip's tenacity as well as helping him learn a water move to deal with the rock types Roxanne would inevitably throw at them. Once everything was ready and the two partners were set to begin their training, they headed off.

The task was a grueling one. Andrea travelled the entire stretch from Rustboro City to Littleroot Town challenging any trainer she could find and strengthening her team along the way. After battling, hiking, and skirmishing with several wild Pokemon, Andrea and her Pokemon were exhausted and headed to Oldale Town for lunch and rest. The team headed into the town's Pokemon center for a quick checkup to make sure everyone was healthy and in prime condition to continue the grind. While her Pokemon were being tended to, Andrea took the chance to find the nearest phone and call her brother. She dialed his number and he answered.

"Hello?" All said.

"Hi bro, it's Anne! How are you?" Andrea said with enthusiasm.

"Hey sis, I'm doing great! I'm on the way to Lavaridge at the moment to challenge Flannery for her badge."

"Ha! Nice work. I hope Sceptile will be okay. Flannery is a fire type specialist right?" Andrea asked.

"Yup but don't worry about that. I got it covered. What about you? How's that challenge for Roxanne coming along?" All asked.

"Well I'm working on it. Mudkip, Shroomish, and I have been working extra hard and I've caught some extra Pokemon to help fill up the Pokedex," Andrea answered with enthusiasm.

"Good work. Keep it up. Remember Roxanne will try to lower your speed. If she does, it will be much harder to get back. Stay on your toes and find a way around it," All advised Andrea.

"I will All; don't worry," Andrea paused before continuing, "All I've been thinking about what you told me at the café and I want you to know. I won't hold back on you either. Let's both give it everything we have when the time comes okay?" Andrea said with newfound confidence.

"Ha! That's the spirit Anne! I can't wait until we meet again," All said with excitement.

"Take care bro and good luck with Flannery," Andrea said as she hung up the phone.

As the call ended, the nurse came to Andrea with her Pokemon following closely behind. Now fully recovered from their battles, Andrea was confident that this time around she would not back down from a challenge even a seemingly impossible one.

She withdrew her two companions, headed outside to get her bike, and got ready to leave when she encountered a familiar face waiting outside the Pokemon Center.

"Hey you're the girl with the Mudkip!" he said as he approached Andrea, "I never got to introduce myself. My name is Rowan!"

"You're the trainer from the woods. My name's Andrea," she said as she returned his cheerful greeting with a smile and handshake.

"This is pretty far from home. What are you doing all the way in Oldale?" Rowan asked.

"Oh you know training my butt off ha!" Andrea responded.

"So you have any plans on taking the Rustboro Gym challenge? That Shroomish of yours will definitely come in handy," Rowan said.

"Oh definitely but he's not the only one," Andrea said with zeal as she looked at Mudkip's Pokeball on her belt.

"Oh, so you have a trump card do you? I hope it's that Mudkip of yours. He's really something special you know. You two will make quite a tough opponent for Roxanne if you can play your cards right," Rowan stated. "Anyway, I'm going to stick around in Oldale for a bit. I got some relatives here I want to say hi to. Take care!"

"See you around Rowan!" Andrea said as she prepared to leave.

"Wait, Andrea!" Rowan yelled as she was just riding off. He ran up to her and gave her a piece of paper, "That's my number. Call me if you ever want to hang out or battle. I get the feeling you'll be a great opponent."

"Great! We'll stay in touch for sure," she said as she took the page and put it in her bag's side pouch before riding off.

The ride was a pretty long one and the sun started to set as Andrea was arriving at Petalburg. With the daylight quickly fading, and her body aching from the strenuous exercise, Andrea decided it would be best to rest up at an inn and head home for Rustboro in the morning. She called her mom to tell her she would be spending the night in Petalburg then went up to her room to rest. Andrea took a long shower, put on her pajamas, and climbed into bed. She took Mudkip's Pokeball and sent him out. The little Pokemon came out and cried out with enthusiasm at the sight of his trainer before running up to her and nuzzling her lovingly.

"Hey buddy!" Andrea said with a chuckle as Mudkip's playful actions began to tickle her. "Well tomorrow is the big day. It's time for us to show Roxanne what we're really made of. You ready for it?" she asked.

Mudkip nodded with enthusiasm and nestled up to his trainer to rest. Andrea pulled the sheets over the two of them and turned to face her Pokemon.

"Hey Mudkip, thanks for having faith in me and I promise I won't let you down. We'll show All what we're made of," she said with a burning passion.

Mudkip smiled and gave his trainer one last loving nuzzling before drifting off to sleep. Andrea woke up the next morning and found she had a missed call. She checked to see who it was and it turned out All had won his battle against Flannery and sent a picture of the badge.

"Amazing, All just got back into it and already has another badge. Well I guess that just means I'm going to have to work harder to catch up to him," Andrea said to herself with conviction.

She went to the bed and woke up her sleepy little companion. After the two readied themselves, they headed down to the lobby to checkout and pay for the night's accommodation but something odd happened.

"Oh there's no need for that miss. Someone covered the cost for you last night," said the receptionist when Andrea took out her wallet.

"What, who did it?" Andrea asked puzzled.

"A young man with a yellow jacket, black shirt, and brown pants and I believe he said his name was Rowan," replied the receptionist.

"Rowan paid for me? Why would he do that?" Andrea asked herself out loud.

"Perhaps he might be interested in you," the receptionist said jokingly.

Andrea laughed it off and thanked her for the accommodations before heading out the door. She was still unable to understand what would compel Rowan to go so out of his way for someone he hardly knew. For a moment Andrea thought about heading back to Oldale to thank him but the challenge awaited at Rustboro and she didn't want to waste any more time. She withdrew Mudkip, got on her bike, and rode back home. When she finally returned back in her hometown, there appeared to be a lot of activity going on at the gym so Andrea decided to see what the commotion was all about. Upon arrival, it turned out Roxanne had accepted the challenges of five young trainers none of which even got that chance to reach her causing quite a show as the locals marveled in the triumph of one of Hoenn's top battlers.

"Wow the gym seems tough," Andrea thought to herself.

She headed back to her house and greeted her parents. She didn't sit and chat for long before heading up to her room to prepare for the defining battle of her young career as a Pokemon trainer thus far. She called Mudkip and Shroomish out of their Pokeballs and gave them a little pep talk to help get them motivated for the upcoming endeavor. When she felt she and her team were ready, Andrea rushed for the gym to put her training to the test. She entered the facility and registered herself for the challenge. Once everything was arranged, she was led to the combat arena where a small gauntlet of trainers was ready for her. As long as she could beat the two opponents, she would qualify for the match against Roxanne. Her first opponent was a young boy still in training school.

He stepped out and began to speak, "Don't take it on easy on me because I'm a kid. I want you to give it everything you got okay?"

Andrea returned his statement with a confident nod and said, "Don't worry. I plan to."

The announcement was made for the match to begin and both trainers sent out their Pokemon. The boy sent out a Geodude while Andrea reciprocated with her Shroomish.

"Geodude, use Rock Throw!" said the boy as he commanded his Pokemon.

Geodude manifested a cluster of stone and dropped it on Shroomish. The Pokemon was taken back from the impact but still standing.

"Shroomish, heal it back with Mega Drain!" Andrea commanded.

Shroomish drained out all of the energy from the Geodude fainting him instantly. He collapsed to the ground thoroughly beaten.

"Whoa! That's some crazy stuff!" the boy said in a mix of shock and excitement, "Nice job! Seems you came prepared for this gym. Good luck on your next battle. This guy's pretty tough."

As he walked off Andrea's next opponent stepped up to the plate and began to speak, "My my, I knew you were tough but that was just insane," said a very familiar voice.

Adrea's eyes widened as her eyes fell on the boy's jacket and she began to speak, "Rowan? You're a trainer here?"

Andrea was in complete shock. She figured him owning two rock types was a bit odd but now it all became clear. He's one of the top trainers in Rustboro.

"I kind of figured we'd end up battling again. I just didn't expect it to be so soon," he said with a laugh, "I hope you don't take my little favor at the inn to heart. I wouldn't want you to hold back."

"Rowan, why did you pay for me?" Andrea asked.

"Because I saw how hard you were working and honestly I really wanted to challenge you at Oldale, but I figured since you were exhausted it wouldn't make sense. I wanted to fight you at your absolute best when I knew there would be nothing stopping you from giving it everything you've got. I love tough opponents," he said with an invigorating smile. "Andrea, don't let up even a little. Show me that my money didn't go to waste and hit me with your best shot!"

After that, Rowan sent out his first Pokemon starting off with his Geodude rather than his Aron.

"Geodude's out already? Alright then I know just who to use for him. Let's go Shroomish!" Andrea said as she confidently sent out her grass type.

The small Pokemon hopped out of his Pokeball and took the stage ready for an all out war. Once again the announcement was made and the battle was set to begin.

"We're coming at you with everything we got! Geodude, use Rock Tomb!" Rowan declared with thunderous authority.

Geodude conjured several clusters of rock and buried Shroomish under the intense pressure squeezing the bud Pokemon and hitting hard but not enough to completely cause a knock out.

"Shroomish this is your chance! Hit him as hard as you can with Mega Drain!" Andrea yelled out with ferocity matching her opponent's.

Shroomish drained out the Geodude as he did with the last opponent and instantly beat him.

"Geodude has an absolute weakness to grass. We got you now," Andrea said confidently to her opponent.

"I'm very impressed Andrea. This is a huge step up from where you were before but I don't plan on losing until my last Pokemon faints. Let's do this Aron!" Rowan said as he sent out his final hope.

Aron burst forth from his Pokeball ready to face Andrea's challenge head on. Andrea knew Shroomish's speed was lowered from the stone prison but she knew sending out Mudkip right now would leave him open to an attack from Aron so she decided to make a risky play.

"Shroomish use Stun Spore!" Andrea ordered.

"Not this time!" Rowan replied, "Aron use Headbutt!"

The iron Pokemon charged at his opponent relentlessly slamming his steel skull against the small bud Pokemon. Shroomish was reeling from the impact and couldn't react.

"Shroomish come on!" Andrea shouted. She knew that with his speed lowered, Shroomish would be far more susceptible to flinching but she never knew Rowan would train his Aron after their last battle.

"You didn't think I hadn't prepared for this did you? I knew Shroomish would doom Aron after a paralysis so I had to make sure I got the jump on him first," Rowan said with fierce determination.

At this rate, Aron's Rock Tomb would finish off Shroomish for sure and Andrea knew it. It was a gamble but she knew what she had to do to finish the battle.

"Shroomish you did well but there's nothing more you can do for now. Thank you for your help," Andrea said reassuringly to her little partner. Shroomish nodded in agreement as his trainer called him back into his Pokeball. There was only one other option left and the two trainers knew it. Andrea took out HIS Pokeball, threw it with great energy, and shouted, "Mudkip, this is your time to shine!"

The tiny amphibious Pokemon burst out filled with zeal and excitement to finally get his chance to face Rowan's strength.

"Ah there he is! The prodigal son! Give him a warm stony welcome, Aron!" Rowan said.

Aron conjured several stones around Mudkip and buried him in the rubble slowing him down and crushing him yet the small Pokemon stood his ground.

"He seems a lot burlier than Shroomish. This should be interesting," Rowan said with pride. "Now Aron let's begin the cycle again with Headbutt!"

Aron charged at the softened Mudkip and rammed him with his solid skull. Mudkip was hurt badly but still able to fight.

"I knew you would do that and it's just what I wanted you to do," Andrea said to Rowan confidently.

"Oh no Mudkip is a starter! I completely forgot!" Rowan said as he clutched his head in disbelief.

"Checkmate Rowan! We win!" Andrea declared proudly, "Mudkip use Water Gun!"

Mudkip had finally learned a water move but that wasn't all. With his health in critical, his ability Torrent kicked in making it all the more powerful. The strong jet of water drenched Aron and washed him away instantly. Rowan looked at his fainted Pokemon with amazement and satisfaction despite his defeat.

He withdrew Aron and began to speak, "Ah well that was fun while it lasted," he said with a laugh, "That was amazing work you two."

Out of the shadows a voice began to speak, "I agree," it said.

Just then, Roxanne came out from the spectator's area to greet the two trainers. "That was well-played challenger. I'm impressed. You're the first today to actually break past Rowan."

"Thank you so much, madam. It means a lot to hear that from you," Andrea said in response to the leader's compliment.

"However, contain your excitement for I assure you I will not be as forgiving," Roxanne said in a challenging tone.

"I'm well aware of the challenge ahead, ma'am, but I'm ready for it," Andrea replied answering the call to battle.

"Good then make your preparations and return to me when you're ready. I will look forward to finally getting to battle in a while," Roxanne said while walking away.

"Hey you did really well, Rowan," Andrea said to her opponent.

"Ah I suppose," he replied with a chuckle, "I guess I still have to make some adjustments to better suit the water type matchup. Still I really think you have a solid chance of giving Roxanne a run for her money. Good luck Andrea, you got this for sure!" Rowan said with a reassuring thumbs-up.

Andrea nodded in agreement and acknowledgement before heading to the Pokemon Center to heal up her partners and prepare for the final battle. She calmed herself, steeled her nerves, and re-entered the gym ready to face the competition with full force.

"I must say this will be very fun. Your team composition completely counters my own," Roxanne said while acknowledging her opponent's talent. "However, it won't matter. Unless you can muster your Pokemon's abilities properly, you will never break me!"

After that, Roxanne sent out her first Pokemon which was her Geodude and Andrea replied in kind by sending out Mudkip right off the bat.

"Your strongest so soon, are you sure you want to take that chance?" Roxanne said in an almost mocking tone.

"As sure as I'll ever be," Andrea said with a smile clearly showing that she was by no means backing down. "Mudkip end this in one move with Water Gun!"

Mudkip opened his mouth and fired a high-speed stream that soaked the rock Pokemon instantly knocking her out.

"Of course, I expected this outcome," Roxanne said almost completely unbothered by the fainting of her Pokemon, "However, did you expect this?"

Roxanne threw out her last Pokemon and it was one that Andrea knew of but never encountered, Nosepass.

"Mudkip use Water Gun on her!" Andrea commanded.

Mudkip fired out his steady stream again but the Nosepass seemed to withstand the attack with more resilience than Andrea was expecting.

Roxanne chuckled then began to explain, "While Water Gun is in fact super effective, Nosepass doesn't share the crippling water weakness that Geodude does and she is bulkier in terms of special defenses. I'm afraid this won't be as easy as you might have hoped. Now Nosepass, wear him down with Rock Tomb!"

Nosepass pinned Mudkip under her stones and slowed his movements down dealing a lot more damage than Andrea was expecting but not enough to trigger Mudkip's Torrent ability. Andrea knew that another move like that would probably take Mudkip out and he was the only one who could stand a good chance against that Nosepass. So she made a choice.

"Mudkip come back for now. I'll need your strength," Andrea said to her loyal companion.

Mudkip agreed as he was called back to his spherical vessel.

"Shroomish show her what you got!" Andrea said as she sent out her bud Pokemon.

Shroomish came out ready for a fight but wasn't prepared for what was about to come.

"Nosepass use Rock Slide!" Roxanne called out.

Nosepass conjured several large stones above Shroomish's head and slammed them down on him relentlessly doing massive damage but just shy of a one hit knockout.

"Shroomish now use Stun Spore!" Andrea shouted.

"NO!" Roxanne yelled out.

The powder hit the solid Pokemon crippling her speed and drastically limiting her movements.

"Now we're cooking! Shroomish use Mega Drain to recover!" Andrea commanded.

Shroomish drained the Nosepass doing a solid amount of damage to her.

"Nosepass end this with Rock Tomb!" Roxanne declared as the stones crushed Shroomish finally bringing him down.

Andrea knew that with Nosepass down at her current state, she still wouldn't faint to a Water Gun, but she wasn't going to deny her Mudkip this opportunity. She was ready to gamble and put the entire challenge on the line even though with one move from the Nosepass, this battle will be over. The time is now she knew it and so did her fierce opponent and with her arm cocked for the throw and the ball of her faithful compatriot clutched tightly Andrea sent out Mudkip.

"Mudkip don't give up. We will win this!" Andrea said to her little Pokemon. "Mudkip now use Water Gun!"

Mudkip fired out his attack and hit hard but as predicted, wasn't enough and both he and Andrea braced for the attack that was to come.

"Not enough. Nosepass use Rock Slide and end it!" Roxanne said confidently but something was wrong.

Nosepass struggled to cast her attack but couldn't move. The powder from Shroomish completely halted her in her tracks leaving her wide open to Mudkip's next attack.

"THIS IS IT MUDKIP! GIVE IT ALL YOU'VE GOT!" Andrea shouted.

Mudkip fired out one last Water Gun and finally the mighty stone Pokemon fell. Andrea ran up to her Pokemon, picked him up and held him close in complete excitement and joy. It was over and they won.

"I'm absolutely stunned. It's almost as if you were meant to win," Roxanne said impressed by her opponent's victory, "Take this badge as a token of your accomplishment and this TM as a gift of mine to aid you on your journey."

Andrea thanked Roxanne for the battle and the prizes and left with her head held high. From that day on, Andrea lived every day with her partner Pokemon constantly working to improve herself and believe more and more in her talents. As time went on the two grew stronger, Mudkip became Marshtomp and Marshtomp became Swampert. Gym Leaders went from being gatekeepers to being bumps in the road and the two gained more teammates and strength as they continued their journey to where they are now. With the badge count between Andrea and All being four to six respectively, Andrea pushes on with the Swampert that taught her that the only thing that stood in her way of moving forward was herself and she eagerly awaits the day when she will face her brother in all out battle of the ages, but that is a story for another time.


End file.
